As I type my fingers are moving in a chunky, slow motioned, semi frozen state, like half thawed out sausages. Yes, the boiler is on the blink again and the house is freezing. Luckily, we’ve got a service guy clanging away downstairs and sausages crossed that he’ll get it going again today. If not we’ll be wrapping ourselves in duvets and parking next to the open fire in the living room, which isn’t a bad way to spend Christmas if it comes to it. Meanwhile there’s still shopping to be done and having overdosed the kids on Christmas cooking demonstrations and programmes over the past month I only have myself to blame with regards to the ingredients lists that they are handing me for the desserts. Johnnie wants to make Jamie’s ice-cream bombe, Daire wants to make Kevin Dundon’s brownies with malteesers and ice cream and Ellie fancies Gordon’s truffles, the other 3 are on for baking Christmas cookies. I’ve lots of minced meat (the sweet kind) still begging to be stuffed into some pies, so after making the pastry for that I’ll be heading to the shops for a bit of trolley racing.
I got to try out Jamie Oliver’s mulled wine recipe last night (minus the vanilla pod and star anise) and it was delicious. The lime zest gives it an extra kick and I like the way that he infuses the spices and zests into the syrup first to extract the flavours before adding the wine to heat through (doesn’t boil away the alcohol!).
However you spend the holidays, have a wonderful, cosy, Christmasy Christmas.
Til next time, Sheila.